The Periodic Review Report at
the Community College:
Opportunities for
Collaborative Institutional
Renewal
Valarie Avalone, Director of Planning
Dr. Michael McDonough, Provost and
VP, Academic Services
Goals
 To challenge the task-oriented perception of
the review process;
 To identify concrete strategies that will yield
benefits beyond the immediate need of
completing the report;
 To plan a PRR process that promotes
meaningful and productive campus-wide
collaboration and renewal.
About MCC
 Comprehensive community college founded
in 1961 in Rochester, NY;
 Serves over 38,000 credit/noncredit students
ing 80+ degree and certificate programs;
 70% of students enrolled in transfer
programs;
 36% of students under 20 years old;
 32% of students identified
as underrepresented.
About MCC
Challenges and Opportunities
 The urgency of college readiness and the
linked demand of the completion agenda;
 The changing dynamics of the regional
population;
 Shrinking local and state support;
 A college faculty and professional staff in
transition.
The PRR: A Four-Stage
Approach
 Plan – develop a team, a timeline, and a
process;
 Act – gather information;
 Evaluate -- decide what should go into the
report;
 Draft – scaffold the report
around the standards.
Stage I: Plan – Building A Team
The PRR Team poses significant challenges. In
ideal terms, it functions as 4 teams in one:
 Alignment > to share information
 Consultative > to support decision making
 Coordinating > to foster communications
 Authoritative > to make decisions
Stage I: Plan – Building a
Team
Composition and characteristics are crucial:
 Cross divisional;
 Mix of new, veteran, and senior staff;
 Campus-wide credibility;
 Familiarity with wide range of internal and
external stakeholders;
 Specific knowledge base;
 Institutional authority.
Stage I: Plan – A Timeline









Preliminary Work
Team Appointment
PRR Requirements
Collect Essential Data
Draft Report
Institutional Review
Edit Report
Prepare Executive Summary
Final Review (President &
Board of Trustees)
 Submit to Commission
January – September
June
September – November
September – November
December – February
March
April
April
April – May
June 1
Stage I: Plan – A Process
Five operational policies should guide the PRR:
 Stability;
 Direction;
 Structure;
 Leadership;
 Resources
Stage I: Plan – A Process
The PRR process requires:
 An analysis of the current strategic plan
(progress, evidence, and assessments);
 A comprehensive response to both MSCHE
recommendations and institutional
recommendations;
 A recognition that the institution
confronts new challenges
and opportunities
Stage II: Act
The actions of the PRR Team reflect institutional
change since the Self Study, the Evaluation
Team Visit, and subsequent report. The
purpose of the PRR is to establish and
demonstrate a culture of evidence.
Stage II: Act
This process will promote:
 A culture of evidence from multiple
sources;
 A culture of authentic collaboration;
 An attitude of RENEWAL
Stage III: Evaluate
Student Success
Institutional Success
Course Learning Outcomes
Department Assessments
General Education Outcomes
Program Outcomes
Stage III: Evaluate
These evaluations must be
 Comprehensive;
 Systematic;
 Consistent;
 Sustained;
 Broadly Communicated
Stage IV: Draft
As the PRR process unfolded, we adopted a
five-step process to the writing task:
1. Assemble (scaffold) a comprehensive (and
lengthy) first draft.
2. Revise for length, voice, and purpose.
3. Circulate.
4. Edit to incorporate
appropriate feedback.
5. Review.
Lessons Learned
 You can never have too much data;
 You can’t begin too early;
 You can’t spend too much time planning
(and you plan from the end);
 Picking the right committee members is
crucial to success;
 You must resource the
committee
Lessons Learned
 You must return to the language of the
standards;
 You must design a timeline (and incorporate
some flexibility);
 You must open doors for the team;
 You can never have too long a first draft;
 You must have the lone writer.
Questions ?